'So, how do you like the iPad?'

That’s a question people have been asking me since I had one sent out to me from the US just after launch. The truth was that I liked it, but I didn’t love it.

And now I’ve totally changed my mind. I love it. Love love it.

Of course this week’s launch of Flipboard* has shown that there’s still plenty of room for innovation in app creation, but what has changed my mind has been the fact that I finally got my hands on an iPad with 3G. With Wifi-only, it didn’t make sense for me. It was just another device that needed the internet for it to work. With 3G, it is the internet, and it’s wherever I want it.

A week or so ago I went to Sydney for the day for work and took my laptop, my phone, a bunch of printouts, and a book to read. Since my 3G iPhone is pretty much useless except as a tethered 3G modem these days after installing iOS4, I had to use my laptop to retrieve and respond to emails on the road. It was a drag.

Yesterday, I went to Sydney with my iPad 3G+WiFi, my iPhone and a copy of Monocle (yep, I’m that guy) to read on the plane. I have Dropbox on my iPad, and before I left, I put a few key files in there in case I need access to them while I was meeting clients. By the end of the day, I noticed how heavy a copy of Monocle is. I guess pretension has mass.

On the iPad, I was able to do all of the things I actually do with my laptop when I travel. I was able to review pdfs of designs that my team emailed through during the day. I was able to adjust some spreadsheets. I was able to respond to emails and send thoughts through to clients about some new projects we have on the go.

And then when I had some downtime, I used it to read the newspaper. The battery lasted all day. I never had to hunt for a powerpoint. It never crashed. 

I’m not saying you should get an iPad. But I am saying that my laptop stays at work a lot these days.

*I’ll cover my thoughts on Flipboard in a few days (short version: as a user I love it; as a content creator it kind of worries me).